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Neurons, synapses, and the proteins required for their function are critical to the biology and behaviour of animals, but little is known about how they first evolved. In neurons, the transmission of chemical signals (called neuropeptides or neurotransmitters) from the presynapse to the postsynapse requires distinct sets of pre- and postsynaptic protein networks. Understanding when the proteins required for synaptic activity first evolved and how they functioned in the first animals promises to illuminate evolutionary processes underlying the origin of neurons. We are particularly interested in:

• The origin and functional evolution of synaptic proteins
• Co-option of these proteins into ancient synaptic scaffolds
• Evolution of the first neuron-like cell type in animals

We use a comparative approach and work with choanoflagellates, the closest unicellular relatives of animals, sponges, early branching animals with no synapses and neurons, and ctenophores, early branching animals with synapses and neurons, as model organisms. We aim to understand when the proteins required for synaptic activity first evolved, how they functioned at a molecular level and which combinations of synaptic proteins resulted in the origin of the synapse. Our approach is to use a variety of techniques, ranging from comparative genomics, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, current state-of-the-art biochemical methods to X-ray crystallography to study synaptic protein homologs in choanoflagellates, sponges and ctenophores. Through our work we will be able to reconstruct the evolutionary history of these proteins and understand the evolution of the first synapses and neurons.

• Soto Angel JJ, Nordmann EL, Sturm D, Sachkova M, Pang K, Burkhardt P (2024) . Methods in Molecular Biology 2757: 123–145.
• Benvenuto G, Leone S, Astoricchio E, Bormke S, Jasek S, D'Aniello E, Kittelmann M, McDonald K, Hartenstein V, Baena V, Escriva H, Bertand S, Schierwater B, Burkhardt P, Ruiz-Trillo I, Jekely G, Ullrich-Luter J, Luter C, D'Aniello S, Arnone MI, Ferraro F (2024) . Cell Reports 43: 113791.
• Colgren J, Burkhardt P (2023)  Current Biology 33, 298-300.
• Burkhardt P, Colgren J, Medhus A, Digel L, Naumann B, Soto Angel JJ, Nordmann EL, Sachkova MY, Kittelmann M (2023) . Science 376 (6642): 293-297.
• Soto Angel JJ, Jaspers C, Hosia A, Majaneva S, Martell L, Burkhardt P (2023)  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 120 (4): e2218317120
• Colgren J, Burkhardt P (2022) . Essays in Biochemistry 66 (6): 781–795.
• Burkhardt P (2022) . Trends in Neurosciences 45 (12): 878-880.
• Gahan JM, Kouzel IU, Jansen KO, Burkhardt P, Rentzsch F (2022) . Nature Communications 13 (1):465.
• Sachkova MY, Nordmann EL, Soto Angel JJ, Meeda Y, Górski B, Naumann B, Dondorp D, Chatzigeorgiou M, Kittelmann M, Burkhardt P (2021) . Current Biology 31, 5274–5285. (preprint avialable here ).
• Burkhardt P and Jékely G (2021) . Current Opinion in Neurobiology (71) 127-138. (preprint available here ).
• Musser JM, Schippers KJ, Nickel M, Mizzon G, Kohn AB , Pape C, Hammel JU, Wolf F, Liang C, Hernández-Plaza A, Achim K, Schieber NL, Francis WR, Vargas S, Kling S, Renkert M, Feuda R, Gaspar I, Burkhardt P, Bork P, Beck M, Kreshuk A, Wörheide G, Huerta-Cepas J, Schwab Y, Moroz LL, Arendt D (2021) . Science 374 (6568), 717-723. (preprint avialable here ).
• Hake KH, West PT, McDonald K, Laundon D, Feng C, Burkhardt P, Richter D, Banfield JF, King N (2021) . bioRxiv 437421.
• Goehde RA*, Naumann B*, Laundon D, Imig C, McDonald K, Cooper BH, Varoqueaux F, Fasshauer D, Burkhardt P (2021) . Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 376: 20190759. (*joint 1^st author). (preprint avialable here ).
• Nauman B, Burkhardt P (2019)  Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 7 (231). (preprint avialable here ).
• Sachkova M, Burkhardt P (2019)  Development 146: dev178996.
• Laundon D, Larson B, McDonald K, King N, Burkhardt P (2019)  PLoS Biology 17 (4): e3000226. (recommended by ) (preprint avialable here ).
• Kollmar M, Welz T, Straub F, Alzahofi N, Hatje K, Briggs DA, Samol-Wolf A, Burkhardt P, Hume A, Kerkhoff E (2019) . bioRxiv 452185.
• Morey C, Kienle CN, Klöpper TH, Burkhardt P, Fasshauer D (2017)  Journal of Biological Chemistry 292 (50): 20449-20460.
• Burkhardt P, Sprecher SG (2017) . BioEssays 39 (10): 1700024.
• Hoffmeyer TT and Burkhardt P (2016) . Current Opinion in Genetics and Development (39) 42-47.
• Bhattacharyya M*, Stratton MM*, Going CC*, McSpadden E, Huang Y, Susa AC, Elleman A, Cao YM, Pappireddi N, Burkhardt P, Gee C, Barros T, Schulman H, Williams ER, Kuriyan J (2016) . Elife 5: e13405. (*joint 1^stauthor).
• Burkhardt P (2015) . Journal of Experimental Biology (218): 506-514.
• Burkhardt P, Gronborg M, McDonald K, Sulur T, Wang Q, King N (2014) . Molecular Biology and Evolution 31 (9): 2342–2355.
• Demircioglu FD, Burkhardt P, Fasshauer D (2014) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111 (38): 13828-13833.
• Sebe-Pedros A*, Burkhardt P*, Sánchez-Pons N, Fairclough SR, Lang F, King N, Ruiz- Trillo I (2013) . Molecular Biology and Evolution 30 (9): 2013-2023 (*joint 1^st author).
• Colbert KN, Hattendorf DA, Weiss TM, Burkhardt P, Fasshauer D, Weis WI (2013) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110 (31): 12637-42.
• Meijer M*, Burkhardt P*, de Wit H, Toonen RF, Fasshauer D, Verhage M (2012) . EMBO Journal 31 (9): 2156-2168 (*joint 1^st author). (recommended by )
• Burkhardt P, Stegmann CM, Cooper B, Kloepper TH, Imig C, Varoqueaux F, Wahl MC, Fasshauer D (2011) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108 (37): 15264-15269.
• Burkhardt P, Hattendorf DA, Weis WI, Fasshauer D (2008) . EMBO Journal 27 (7): 923-933.(recommended by )